It's the Week 2 wide receiver rankings, which means it's the Week 2 WR "collective shrug". The top players were target hogs in the season's opening week, but as always, the middle tier was a hit-or-miss hodgepodge of surprise performances (both good and bad). Add a few injuries (Doug Baldwin, Marquise Goodwin) and unpredictable matchups to the mix, and Week 2 is always a start 'em/sit 'em nightmare.
We'll try not to overreact to Week 1, but it's difficult when that's all you have to go on. Is Chris Hogan really a non-factor in the Patriots offense? Do Ryan Fitzpatrick and DeSean Jackson really have a special connection? Are Buffalo's quarterbacks really incapable of getting the ball to Kelvin Benjamin? We don't have definitive answers to these questions (well, maybe the last one), so we have to try to balance everything we saw last week. Just because Jamison Crowder wasn't involved much in the Redskins offense doesn't mean he won't be this week in a favorable matchup against the Colts. We know he's talented, and that's important.
Of course, Week 1 workload is also important. Fantasy points can be inflated by one big play, especially a touchdown, so focusing on targets tells us a little more. Those can change in a hurry, as well, but it's usually a better indicator of future involvement than a random 50-yard gain or even a touchdown. Things should be a little (emphasis on "little") more clear in Week 3. In the meantime, let's try to figure things out for Week 2.
Week 2 Rankings:
Quarterback | Running Back | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
Reminder: We'll update our rankings and add analysis throughout the week, so please check back often.
WEEK 2 DFS GPP LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings (coming soon)
Week 2 Fantasy Football Rankings: WRs
These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues
| 1 | Antonio Brown, Steelers vs. Chiefs. In poor conditions in a game in which Ben Roethlisberger played horribly, Brown caught nine of 16 targets for 93 yards and a score. Just like the next six guys on this list, he's a safe start every week. |
| 2 | Michael Thomas, Saints vs. Browns |
| 3 | Odell Beckham Jr., Giants @ Cowboys |
| 4 | DeAndre Hopkins, Texans @ Titans |
| 5 | Keenan Allen, Chargers @ Bills |
| 6 | Julio Jones, Falcons vs. Panthers |
| 7 | Tyreek Hill, Chiefs @ Steelers |
| 8 | A.J. Green, Bengals vs. Ravens |
| 9 | Stefon Diggs, Vikings @ Packers |
| 10 | Marvin Jones Jr., Lions @ 49ers |
| 11 | Mike Evans, Buccaneers vs. Eagles. Evans dominated in Week 1 and the Eagles were dominated by Julio Jones. It's tempting to think he should be even higher, but we still have doubts about Ryan Fitzpatrick, especially against a tough defense. |
| 12 | Brandin Cooks, Rams vs. Cardinals |
| 13 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers vs. Chiefs |
| 14 | Nelson Agholor, Eagles @ Buccaneers. Agholor caught eight of 10 targets in Week 1, which sounds great -- until you see he only had 33 yards. We're going to trust the targets here and expect more yards and/or a touchdown against the relatively weak Bucs defense. |
| 15 | Davante Adams, Packers vs. Vikings. If Aaron Rodgers (knee) is out, Adams will drop considerably in our rankings. But even against a tough defense, we think he has upside if Rodgers is throwing him the ball. |
| 16 | T.Y. Hilton, Colts @ Redskins |
| 17 | Demaryius Thomas, Broncos vs. Raiders. Emmanuel Sanders outproduced Thomas across the board in Week 1, but they both had double-digit targets and scored. We expect these two to have similar upside most weeks, and against the Raiders, both are in play as WR2s. |
| 18 | Golden Tate, Lions @ 49ers |
| 19 | Jarvis Landry, Browns @ Saints |
| 20 | Adam Thielen, Vikings @ Packers. Thielen doubled Stefon Diggs in targets (12 to 6) and posted 102 yards to Diggs' 43. Diggs got in the end zone, though, so both receivers can easily pay off most weeks. We like Diggs a little more than Thielen, but this is a 1A and 1B situation. |
| 21 | Josh Gordon, Browns @ Saints. Gordon only played a handful of snaps in horrible conditions against the Steelers last week, but he still scored and could've had a second big play but Tyrod Taylor underthrew him. Taylor underthrowing him might be a common theme this year, but we expect Gordon to see the field much more this week. Given the way the Saints were torched by the Bucs passing offense, we're not overly worried about Marshon Lattimore completely shutting down either Jarvis Landry or Gordon. |
| 22 | Amari Cooper, Raiders @ Broncos |
| 23 | Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos vs. Raiders |
| 24 | Kenny Stills, Dolphins @ Jets. Stills was a nice Week 1 surprise, catching four of five targets for 106 yards and two scores. Jakeem Grant (7) and Danny Amendola (6) actually had more targets, so we're not completely sold on Stills as a consistent, every-week producer yet, but we like the matchup and his big-play upside as long as DeVante Parker (finger) is out. |
| 25 | Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals @ Rams |
| 26 | Corey Davis, Titans vs. Texans. After getting 13 targets in Week 1, it seems clear Davis is Tennessee's go-to receiver. The loss of Delanie Walker (ankle) likely means even more targets for Davis. His actual production will vary, especially if Marcus Mariota (elbow) is out, but he has plenty of upside and opportunity. |
| 27 | Devin Funchess, Panthers @ Falcons |
| 28 | Allen Robinson, Bears vs. Seahawks |
| 29 | Marquise Goodwin, 49ers vs. Lions |
| 30 | Chris Hogan, Patriots @ Jaguars. This probably seems too high for a guy who had one catch for 11 yards and is facing the best defense in the league, but everything goes out the window with the Patriots. Hogan is still one of Tom Brady's few reliable receivers, and he was fairly steady when he played last year. A bounce-back performance wouldn't be a surprise. |
| 31 | Michael Crabtree, Ravens @ Bengals |
| 32 | Paul Richardson, Redskins vs. Colts. Richardson led Washington's wide receivers in targets (6) and always has big-play potential. The Colts were burned deep by A.J. Green in Week 1 and have a shaky secondary in general, so we're going out on a limb and predicting a nice game for Richardson in Week 2. |
| 33 | Robby Anderson, Jets vs. Dolphins |
| 34 | Brandon Marshall, Seahawks @ Bears. |
| 35 | Cole Beasley, Cowboys vs. Giants. The Cowboys passing game was stuck in neutral against the Panthers last week, but Beasley was clearly Dak Prescott's go-to guy, catching seven of eight targets for 73 yards. A much friendlier matchup against the Giants should help Beasley continue to rack up catches. His ceiling is limited, but his floor is higher than you think. |
| 36 | Cooper Kupp, Rams vs. Cardinals |
| 37 | Sammy Watkins, Chiefs @ Steelers. Much like last year, Watkins seemed invisible for much of Week 1, catching three of five targets for 21 yards. Waltkins remains a worthwhile deep threat, and given Patrick Mahomes' arm, he's always a threat for a big play or two. We expect a better performance this week. |
| 38 | Will Fuller, Texans @ Titans |
| 39 | Dede Westbrook, Jaguars vs. Patriots |
| 40 | Kelvin Benjamin, Bills vs. Chargers |
| 41 | Allen Hurns, Cowboys vs. Giants |
| 42 | Robert Woods, Rams vs. Cardinals |
| 43 | Mike Williams, Chargers @ Bills |
| 44 | Danny Amendola, Dolphins @ Jets |
| 45 | Tyler Lockett, Seahawks @ Bears |
| 46 | Dante Pettis, 49ers vs. Lions |
| 47 | Ted Ginn, Saints vs. Browns |
| 48 | Randall Cobb, Packers vs. Vikings |
| 49 | Keelan Cole, Jaguars vs. Patriots |
| 50 | Geronimo Allison, Packers vs. Vikings |
| 51 | Jordy Nelson, Raiders @ Broncos |
| 52 | Pierre Garcon, 49ers vs. Lions |
| 53 | Quincy Enunwa, Jets vs. Dolphins |
| 54 | Jamison Crowder, Redskins vs. Colts |
| 55 | Sterling Shepard, Giants @ Cowboys |
| 56 | Phillip Dorsett, Patriots @ Jaguars |
| 57 | DeSean Jackson, Buccaneers vs. Eagles |
| 58 | John Brown, Ravens @ Bengals |
| 59 | D.J. Moore, Panthers @ Falcons |
| 60 | Kenny Golladay, Lions @ 49ers |
| 61 | Calvin Ridley, Falcons vs. Panthers |
| 62 | Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Giants |
| 63 | Josh Doctson, Redskins vs. Colts |
| 64 | Taylor Gabriel, Bears @ Seahawks |
| 65 | Chris Godwin, Buccaneers vs. Eagles |
| 66 | Rishard Matthews, Titans vs. Texans |
| 67 | Donte Moncrief, Jaguars vs. Patriots |
| 68 | Mohamed Sanu, Falcons vs. Panthers |
| 69 | Anthony Miller, Bears @ Seahawks |
| 70 | Jakeem Grant, Dolphins @ Jets |
| 71 | Willie Snead, Ravens @ Bengals |
| 72 | John Ross, Bengals vs. Ravens |
| 73 | Tyrell Williams, Chargers @ Bills |
| 74 | Christian Kirk, Cardinals @ Rams |
| 75 | Jaron Brown, Seahawks @ Bears |